


Demons

by tianaluthien



Category: Agent Carter (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Happy Ending, Peggy faces her demons, Post-Season/Series 02
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-24
Updated: 2016-02-24
Packaged: 2018-05-23 01:03:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6099733
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tianaluthien/pseuds/tianaluthien
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Peggy has more demons than she thought she did -- and it takes those closest to her to rip through her armour and make her face them. Set post-S2 finale.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Demons

“So if the situation were reversed you’d have let him shoot me?”

The pain in Daniel’s voice stops her short, makes her think about the words she just threw in his face. She opens her mouth to say something – _anything_ – but then Thompson is there with his impatient sarcasm and they have to move.

#

“Because everyone around you always dies!”

The words are stab in the gut and she wants to scream, because it’s the truth. Michael, gone. Steve, gone. Colleen, gone. Maybe Daniel, she doesn’t know yet. She’s already bleeding out, and she doesn’t know how much more she can take. The walls she built so carefully have come splintering down around her and she snaps and snarls because she doesn’t know what else to do.

#

“Whatcha gonna do when it’s up to you?”

A musical interlude from a dream is a strange thing to remember when gunfire fills the air and a portal has been ripped in the fabric of space and time, but when she sees Daniel go down it’s all she can think of. 

She failed.

He had her back every single time and she couldn’t return the favour, couldn’t keep him safe.

It’s like hearing Steve’s radio fade to static all over again.

#

The portal is closing, dragging cars, guns, bodies into its vortex. 

She’s got Daniel’s arm, and it’s warm and solid, and her legs are hooked around the iron railing of the walkway. The wind is tearing at her trying to loosen her grip, but she digs in, muscles straining, eyes closed. She will not – _will not_ – let him go, not this time. Not even if she’s only saving him to say goodbye.

Strong fingers clamp over her arm and her eyes fly open. Daniel is awake, fighting to hold on, his brown eyes wide.

“Don’t let go,” she screams at him. “Don’t you dare let go!”

And then it’s over. The portal snaps shut, the wind dies, and the two of them drop to the walkway. Daniel groans and she crawls over to him, legs aching. Blood runs from a bullet hole in his shoulder, thankfully not his crutch arm.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers, helping him to sit up. “Daniel, I’m so sorry.”

He leans against the rail, breathing heavily, and fixes her with those warm, wise brown eyes of his. “For what?”

She’s crying and she can’t stop it. “For being a complete ass,” she says, and touches the wound in his shoulder, then the fading bruise above his eye. “Daniel, I was so frightened I’d lost you – please do not do that again.”

His mouth quirks in a faint smile. “Get shot and almost sucked into a vortex? Yes, Agent.”

She gives a laugh that’s almost a sob and reaches for his hand, holding it tightly in both of hers. He reaches out and closes his other hand on top of hers, solid and alive. Without thinking, she raises their joined hands and brushes her mouth over his battered knuckles.

“Pegg,” he says softly.

She lifts her head and meets him halfway, and the kiss is hope and a promise that she doesn’t have to be alone – and that this time the story can end differently.


End file.
